Bolster-spring for wagons.



N. L. HOLMES.

BOLSTER SPRING POB. WAGONS.

APPLIOATION FILED 0011s, 1911.

COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPM co.. WASHINGTDN. D. c.

N. L. HOLMES. BoLsTBR SPRINGER WAGoNs. APPLICATION FILED 00T.13, 1911.

1,026,746.v v Patented May 21, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l1- if I 37 25 ,57C @wi-01 Ja/ml/MJ I@ fm Mw 0% N. L. HOLMES.

BoLsTBR SPRING FOR WAGONS.

' APPLICATION FILED 001213, 1911.

1,026,746, Patented Maym, 1912.

4 SHEBTSSHBET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPH C0., wASHlNuTUN. D. c.

N. L. HOLMES. BOLSTER SPRINGTOR w'AGoNs.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 13, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

fin/w14 KM;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN L. HOLMES, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASS-IGNOR-TO GEORGE G. PETERSEN AND WILLIAM C. PETERSEN, COPARTNERS DOING BUSINESS UNDER THE FIRM-NAME OF Gr. C. PETERSEN & SON, F RACINE, WISCONSIN.

'BOLSTER-SPRING- FOR WAGONS.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 13, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANVL. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of 'Wisconsim have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Bolster- Springs for Wagons; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying4 drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in bolster springs for wagons and it consists in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

-In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the bolster of a wagon running gear with my improved removable bolster spring applied thereto; Fig. la is a detail section taken on the line 1f'- 1a of Fig. 1. Fig. `1b is a detail section taken on the line 1b 1b of Fig. 1. Fig. 1c is a perspective view of one of the spacing posts fo-rming part of one of the supporting bars of the device. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view representing a section through Fig. 3, on a plane indicated by the line 4 4 thereof; Fig. 5 is a view represent-ing a horizontal sect-ion through Fig. 4, on a plane indicated by the line 5 5 thereof; Fig. 6 is a detail view, in vertical section, of parts shown in Fig. 5, on a plane indicated by the line 6 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the saddles of the bolster spring; Fig. 8 is a sectional view through the saddle, showing a modified form of the same; Fig. '9 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the device; Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a view on an enlarged scale representing a vertical section through the modified bolster spring on the line 11 11 of Fig. 9; Fig. 12 is a view representing a vertical seetion, through Fig. 11, on the line 12 12 thereof; Fig. 13 is a view representing a horizontal section, through Fig. 12, on the line 13 13 thereof; Fig. 14 is a view representing a partial vertical section,through the parts shown in Fig. 11, on the line 1.4 14 thereof; Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the casting which supports t-he ends o f the spring bolster; Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the saddle which supports the ends of the springs.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, inelusive, 20 indicates one of the bolsters of the wagon running gear and 21, 21, the usual upright stakes that are rigidly secured to the ends of said bolster. 22, 22. indicate, as a whole, two laterally spaced, t-ransversley extending, parallel bars, that are located on opposite sides of the bolster 20, and on which rests the end of the wagon box or body that is to be supported by the bolster springs. 23, 23 indicate two springs, one for each of said bars, which are attached centrally to the bars beneath the same and are supported at their ends by saddle pieces 24, 24, that rest on the bolster 20, near the ends of the latter. The bars 22, 22, consist each of upper and lower, longitudinal metal members 22a. 221. which are vertically separated at their middle parts, and rigidly secured together at their ends, and metal spacing posts 22C, 22, interposed betweenthe separated central parts of said members. The bars 22,22, are held in parallel relation and rigidly connected at their ends by meansof flat metal spacing bars 25, 25, the ends of which are inserted between the end portions of the members 22a and 22D; the said members and spacing bars being rigidly joined by rivets inserted through said parts. Each of the springs 23 resembles the upper half of an elliptic spring and, as preferably made, consists of a plurality of leaves of different lengths, of which three. 26, 27 and 28 are shown in the drawings. Each spring is secured to its associated bar 22, by means of U-shaped clips 30, 30, which embrace the bar and the leaves of the spring, and the parallel, upright arms of which are inserted through plates 31, 31, located in contact with the lower leaf of the spring, and are provided on their lower ends with nuts by which the leaves of the spring are rigidly clamped to the bar.

Each of the spacing posts 22c is located within or between the arms of one of the clips 30, so that by the tightening of the clips, the said posts are clamped against and rigidly held in position relatively to the upper and lower members 22a and 22b of the bar. The said posts are shown (Figs. la, lb and 1%) as made of hollow or tubular form and arranged with their open ends bearing against the upper and lower members 22a and 22h. In order to insure the proper location of the said posts in assembling the parts, and to preventpossibility of their displacement in use, each post is provided at its opposite sides with vertically extending grooves or recesses which are engaged by the upright arms of the clips 30. As shown, said posts are generally cylindric in form and the grooves or recesses referred to are formed by means of separated, parallel ribs 22d, 22d in the said posts.

rlhe `members 22a and 22h, constituting each bar 22, will usually be made of flat, rolled or wrought metal pieces, each as wide 'as the width of the completed bars and of the leaves of the springs that are attached thereto, and, in order to give additional rigidity and strength to the said bar, the lower member 22b thereof is provided on its upper surface with a longitudinal stiffening flange 22e; and the lower end of each of the posts 22, 22c is notched as shown in Fig. 1, to fit over said flange. At the outer ends of the said lower member 22h, the flange 22e is cut away to afford flat surfaces on the end portions of the member, for contact with the spacing bars 25. The ends of the said flange are arranged to abut against the inner edges of the said spacing bars, so as to aid in forming rigid connections between the ends of the said upper and lowermembers and the spacing bars.

The construction described in the bars 22, 22, in connection with the springs 23, 23, provides a stiff and rigid trussed construction in each bar, while at the same time providing a cheaply constructed, and simple means of joining rigidly with each other the central parts of the members constituting the bar with each other and with the springs.

The saddles 24: which support the ends of the springs each consists of a bar having a horizontal part 24' resting on the bolster 2O and vertically depending parts-24th, at each side of said bolster, having horizontal outwardly extending arms 24@ at their lower ends, which arms will usually be at a level located below the bolster 20. As shown in the figures of the drawings above referred to, uprights 32 are secured to the lateral arms 24Cc of the saddle bars, said. uprights rising from the horizontal arms 24C of the saddle bar and being spaced at a distance outwardly from the vertical depending parts 24h thereof. As shown, the uprights 32 are secured to the arms 24k by means of outwardly bent, horizontal'foot-flanges 32a, on the uprights, which rest o'n and are secured by bolts to the said arms 24C.

The end of the spring 23 is located between the vertical depending part 24h of the saddle and the upright 32, and extends out.- wardly beyond the said saddle. Secured to the end of the lower leaf 26 of each spring is a short spring section 33 which extends from its point of connection with the leaf inwardly beneath the leaf to the saddle bar, and rests on, or is supported at its inner end by engagement with, the lateral arm 2&6 of the saddle bar. As shown and preferably made, the spring section 33 has itsinner end bent downwardly to form a tongue 33a engaging in a slot 24d in the said lateral arm 24:c of t-he saddle bar. A connection is thereby provided between the inner end of the spring section 23 and the lateral arrn2/lc, permitting flexure of the spring section relatively to the arm, while holding the end of the spring from horizontal, inward or outward longitudinal movement relatively to the arm, it being understood that the saddles will tip or tilt on the bolster, so far as is required to permit the necessary flexure of the spring. As shown more clearly in Fig. 6, a suitably strong and reliable connection is formed between the end of the lower leaf and the spring section 33, by means of a bolt 33h, inserted through the parts, and by bending over and around the outer end of the spring section, the end portion of the lower leaf 26 which is extended beyond the adjacent end of the spring section for that purpose.

35 indicates a horizontal bolt located above the horizontal arm 24C of the saddle and connecting the vertical depending part 24" thereof to the upright 32. A Said bolt is so located as to engage the top surface of the spring 23 and limit its upward movement. y

In order to prevent longitudinal forward and backward movement of the saddle with reference to the bolster of the wagon gear and to provide engaging parts for maintaining a central position of the bolster spring as a whole, withv relation to said wagon bolster, plates 36 are secured to the horizontal parts 24a of each of the saddles, saidy plates 36 having projecting spaced prongs 36a which are adapted for engagement with each side of the associated stake 2l. As shown in the drawings, (see Fig. 4l), the main horizontal parts 24a of the saddle bars may be rounded on their lower surfaces asv indicated at 24e, in order to provide for a slight rocking movement of the saddles on the bolster 20.

In Fig. 8 a modified form of the saddle bar is shown. In this case, 37 indicates the saddle bar which has a horizontal part 37a resting on the bolster 20 on the wagon running gear, vertically depending parts 37b located at each side of said bolster and horizontal, lateral arms 37 formed at the nessi-74e lower ends of said vertical parts. 'llhe uprights 37d, on said horizontal arms are, however, in this case, made integral with the saddle bar and being formed by upwardly bent extensions of the outer ends of the horizontal arms 37.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invent-ion illustrated in Figs. 9 to 16, inclusive, the bolster and stakes of the running gear, the transversely extending bars of the spring bolster and their associated springs are arranged generally as hereinbefore described, and are indicated by the same reference numerals as before. The bars 22 are, however, in this instance shown as made each of a single piece of wood, while the construction differs in respect to the means for connecting the ends of the transverse bars 22, the construction of the saddles 247 for supporting the ends of the springs, and in the arrangement of the springs and their connection with the saddles. In this case the ends of the bars 22 are connected together and held in proper spaced relation by a spacing member 40 (shown in perspective in Fig. 15) preferably consisting of a single piece of metal or casting. Said spacing member has at each of its ends a pair of vertically arranged, parallel, spaced flanges 41, 41, adapted to receive between them the lateral faces of the bar 22, and also having a flat horizontal web 42 connecting said spaced flanges and adapted to extend beneath and engage the under side of the end of said bar. The central part or body 43 of said spacing member 40 is of inverted U-shape in cross-section. The bars are secured to said spacing member by means of a bolt 44 which extends through suitable apertures formed in said spaced flanges 41, 41, and through the groove or channel in the U-shaped body 43 of said member. 45 indicates the saddle used in this instance for supporting the ends of the spring and consists of a single piece of metal or casting. Each saddle in this case comprises a horizontal plate 46 adapted to rest on the bolster adjacent to one of the stakes 2l, and having lateral arms or extensions 46a, 46a, that extend outwardly from the side faces of the bolster. Depending from the inner and outer ends of the arms 46a, 46a, at each side of said bolster and depending below said plate, are twovertica-l parallel members 47a, 47a, adapted to extend at opposite sides of, or to receive between them, the ends of said springs. .A rod or bar 47h, connecting the lower parts of said vertical members, acts to hold them in proper spaced relation. The vertical members 47a of the stirrups'. are provided with apertures 47C, through which are inserted the ends of a bolt 48, with which are connected the inner ends of the lower, inwardly extending sections of the springs. The horizontal plate 46o'f thestirrup is provided with outwardly extending spaced prongs 49 which extend at each side of the associated stake and act to maintain the saddle centrally in position on the bolster. 50, 50, indicate the springs as a whole, each of said springs being secured to its associated bar 22, as before, by means of U-clips 51, 51, and a clip-plate 52. Auxiliary springs 53 are likewise inserted between the top leaf of said springs and the under surface of the associated bar 22. Said auxiliary springs have their end portions bent downwardly from the bar and then upwardly, and have their ends in sliding contact with the lower surface of the bar. The springs in this case consist of three leaves 54, 55 and 56. The lowermost leaf 56 is bent back upon itself at its ends to form short spring sections 57 which are at their inner ends bent to form eyes for the passage of the bolts 48. In this instancea rivet 57a is inserted through the bent or folded parts at the junction of the ends of the lower leaf 56 and of the short spring sections 57, so as to give a stronger connection than that afforded by the bent or folded part of the metal constituting the said parts 56 and 57 of the spring. To give still greater strength to the connection between the leaf 56 and the spring section 57, the end of the intermediate leaf 55 is preferably bentl downwardly and inwardly around the bend or fold joining the end of the leaf 56 with the spring section 57, as clearly shown in Fig. 14. The central part or body of the plate 46 which rests on the bolster, is shown as elongated lengthwise of the bolster, to give an extended bea-ring surface for contace with the same, and as rounded on its under surface to afford a slight rocking movement of the saddle on the bolster, such as may occur through the action of the springs on the lower ends of the saddle piece, in a way to move said lower ends horizontally outward or inward, as will occur to some extent when the springs are flattened under an increase of downward pressure on their central parts, or are allowed to rise at their central parts under a lessening of the pressure thereon.

It will be observed that both of the forms of saddle piece shown embrace, in common, the feature of a central or body portion adapted to rest on the top of the wagon bolster, and two lateral members arranged to depend from said body portion at opposite sides of the said bolster, and each embracing two parallel or upright parts or members, and a horizontal member rigidly connecting said upright members. In a saddle piece embracing these features, the ends of the springs are inserted betwe-en the said upright members, and are laterally confined thereby while the horizontal part which immediately supports the end of the spring' is,

by said two upright parts, rigidly sustained at both ends and rigidly connected with the central part or body of the saddle member. Both forms of the saddle piece shown, moreover, include, in addition to the features here referred to, a second horizontal piece or member, located parallel with the horizontal member mentioned, and also connecting the upright members, and the four upright and horizontal members constitute, in each instance, a rigid, rectangular, `open frame, through which are inserted the end portion of the spring, provided with inwardly extending short spring sections; the inner ends of said short spring sections being engaged and supported by the lowermost of said two horizontal members, and the ends of the main parts of the springs extending beneath the uppermost of said horizontal members. In a combination of this kind, the rigidly connected upright and horizontal parts of the lateral saddle members not only serve to afford strong and rigid supports by which the ends of the springs are sustained from the body of the saddle, but the making of said lateral saddle members in t-he form of open rectangnlar frames, serves to confine the ends of the springs laterally, while affording a convenient means for connecting the springs with the saddle pieces, either by the direct engagement -of the end of the spring with a horizontal member beneath it, as in the form ofthe device first described, by inserting a holding bolt through both upright members, as in the last described form of the device, or by other suitable means. Moreover, the said open frames serve to confine the ends of the springs both laterally and vertically so that in case the fastening device by which the end of a spring is connected with the saddle piece should break or give way the spring would still be held from becoming entirely detached from the saddle piece.

It is to be understood that a device embodying the general features of construction shown in the drawings and hereinbefore described may be variously modilied in practice, and I do not desire to be limited .to the details of construction and arrangement illustrated, except so far as the Same may be herein claimed as parts of my invention. y l

I claim as my invention l. A bolster spring comprising two laterally spaced curved leaf springs and two saddle pieces each having a body port-ion and two lateral, rigidly attached, depending members and adapted to rest loosely on the top of the wagon bolster, with its said depending members at the sides of the same, said springs each embracing a leaf which extends at its ends outwardly beyond the saddle-pieces, and short spring members attached at their outer ends to the outer ends of said leaf and extending inwardly therefrom; the inner ends of said spring sections being connected with the lower ends of said lateral depending members of the saddlepieces by means permitting relative flexing movement but preventing relative horizontal movement between the ends of said spring sections and said depending arm.

2. A bolster spring comprising two laterally spaced curved leaf-springs and two saddle pieces with which the ends of said springs are connected, each having a body portion adapted to rest on the top of the wagon bolster, and lateral, rigid depending members each consisting of two upright parallel parts and upper and lower horizontal parts, each end of each spring extending beneath the upper horizontal part of the lateral member of one of the saddle-pieces and being provided with an inwardly extending spring section, the inner end of which is loosely engaged with the lower horizontal part of said lateral member of said saddle-piece.

3. A bolster spring comprising two laterally spaced leaf-springs and two saddle pieces each having a body portion adapted to rest loosely on the top of the wagon bolster and two rigidly attached, depending members, each consisting of two upright parts and upper andlower horizontal parts forming an open rigid frame, said springs each embracing a leaf which extends at its ends outwardly beyond the saddle-pieces, and two shortspring sections attached at their outer ends to the outer ends of said leaf and extending inwardly therefrom, the end portions of the said leaf being inserted through the said open frames below the upper horizontal members thereof, and the inner ends of the said spring sections being connected with the lower parts of said frames by means permitting relative flexing movement but preventing relative horizontal movement, of the said inner ends of the spring sections relatively to said depending members of the saddle-pieces.

4c. A saddle-piece for bolster springs comprising a piece of metal bent to form a horizontal body portion, depending side members and two horizontal arms extending outwardly from the side members, uprights attached to and extending upwardly from the outer ends of said horizontal arms, and bolts inserted throughthe depending side members and the upper parts of said uprights.

5. In combination with two bolster springs, two saddle-pieces each embracing a body portion adapted to rest on the top of the wagon bolster and depending side members provided with horizontal spring-supporting arms; said horizontal aV being provided with longitudinal slots, and the end of each spring being provided witha downwardly extending prong adapted to enter one of said slots.

6. In combination with two bolster springs each comprising a leaf curved downwardly at its ends, and two short springsections secured to the ends of said leaf and extending inwardly therefrom, of saddlepieces each comprising a body portion adapted to rest on top of the wagon bolster and depending, lateral members provided with upper and lower outwardly extending horizontal members between which the end portions of the springs are inserted; said lower members being provided with longitudinal slots and the inwardly extending spring sections being` provided with downvvardly directed lugs adapted to engage said s ots.

7 A bolster spring comprising a horizontal bar, a curved leafspring for supporting said bar attached centrally to the same, and an auxiliary spring attached centrally to the bar between the same and said supporting spring, and bent downwardly from the bar toward its ends and then upwardly, and having its end portions in sliding Contact with said bar.

8. A bolster spring comprising two parallel bars, each consisting of two longitudinally arranged, vertically spaced members, converging toward each other at their ends, spacing fposts interposed between the central parts o the longitudinal members of the bars, and horizontal spacing members eX- tending between and joining said bars at their ends, said spacing members consisting of flat plates interposed between and secured to the ends of said longitudinal members of the bars.

In testimony, that I, claim the foregoing as my invention I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this ninth day of October A. D. 1911.

NATHAN L. HOLNEES.

Witnesses:

L. W. SMITH, T. COSTELLO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Gommssoner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

